Former Knox headmaster
Ian Paterson changes story at royal commission(Sydney Morning Herald) Mar 6 - Former Knox Grammar School headmaster Ian Paterson recanted previous
testimony given to a royal commission in which he admitted to misleading a
police officer and hindering her investigation into child abuse allegations
involving six teachers at the school.

Islamic State torches
oil field near Tikrit as militia advance (The West Australian) Mar 5 - BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Islamic State militants have set fire to oil wells
northeast of the city of Tikrit to obstruct an assault by Shi'ite militiamen
and Iraqi soldiers trying to drive them from the Sunni Muslim city and
surrounding towns, a witness said.

Iraq forces face IS
resistance but US says Tikrit will fall (The West Australian) Mar 7 - Samarra (Iraq) (AFP) - Iraqi forces faced tough resistance from
jihadist fighters around Tikrit Saturday, but the top US military officer said
ahead of a Baghdad visit that victory was only a matter of time.

Also:
UN condemns attack on
ancient Iraq site (news.com.au) Mar 8 - THE United Nations cultural body has condemned what it says is the
destruction of the ancient city of Hatra in Iraq by the Islamic State jihadist
group.

Promises of love, jobs
for foreign recruits in IS 'utopia' (The West Australian) Mar 7 - It has become known for horrific images of beheadings and torture, but
the Islamic State group is trying to lure foreign recruits to its
"caliphate" with promises of adventure, homes, jobs -- even love.

Five killed in Mali
jihadist nightclub attack (The
West Australian) Mar 8 - Bamako (AFP) - Five people including two Europeans and a Malian
policeman died in an assault claimed by an Islamist group on a Bamako nightclub,
the first attack targeting Westerners in a city braced for jihadist violence
since 2012.

Boko Haram pledges
allegiance to IS after carnage in Maiduguri (The West Australian) Mar 8 - Maiduguri (Nigeria) (AFP) - Boko Haram pledged allegiance to the
Islamic State group in an audio message published online on Saturday, after
three bombs wreaked havoc in northeast Nigeria, killing 58 and wounding scores.

Canada pastor held by
North Korea: officials (The West
Australian) Mar 6 - A Canadian pastor who went missing in North Korea is being held by the
communist state's authorities, his church and Canadian consular officials said
Thursday.